For many, college is the first time they are on their own. To help them feel and stay safe, the University of New Haven has adopted the EmergenSee U smart phone App.

This App is available free of charge to all UNH students and staff. Donald Parker, Assistant Chief of Police at UNH, explained in an email sent out to the campus that this phone App provides a “Virtual Escort” that keeps students safe as they walk across campus, visit friends on other participating campuses, and on university trips abroad.

The App also provides the option to include profile information such as medical conditions, address, course schedule, or a picture. The university can also mass broadcast alerts to prevent students from walking into harm’s way, send students information on class cancellations and other non-emergency school information, and it is usable in remote locations and on the outskirts of campus.

With this App, students are able to contact campus police by pressing two simple buttons. When the university first adopted the App last spring semester, Officer John Morris, from campus police, explained the App activates your GPS location and camera to send a video to the dispatcher, so that campus police can be sent immediately to assist you.

“I feel like having the App is a step in the right direction and it can’t hurt. We have the blue light posts around campus that we can press if we are in danger, but if we can’t get to them, the App is more convenient because we all have our phones on us. However, I feel like the respond time will be the same,” said Brianna Rodriguez. “It might just be a false sense of security, because it still takes time to open the App and go through the process.” Rodriguez added that she had the App last year, but deleted it because she never used it.

EmergenSeeTM advertises to their students, “Remember, when you’re on campus, safety should always be your first priority—aside from grades, of course.” To their parent audience, EmergenSeeTM advertises that, “EmergenSeeU for students, means peace of mind for parents. Sending your son or daughter away to school can be a nerve-wracking life event. Rest easier knowing that someone is always by their side with EmergenSeeU.”